


Exchange of Hearts

by jinkies_its_a_writer



Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: Aged-Up Character(s), Crush Reversal, F/M, Identity Reveal
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-10-30
Updated: 2018-11-01
Packaged: 2019-08-09 21:20:21
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 1,940
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16457426
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/jinkies_its_a_writer/pseuds/jinkies_its_a_writer
Summary: What if Marinette had never received the ladybug Miraculous? You are Ladybug, and despite your best efforts the sly and flirtatious leather-clad hero has stolen your heart. But what can a girl do when she doesn’t even know who he is under the mask?(Series of connected one-shots. Sort of a cross between a full-fledged fic and a million different one-shots.)





	1. Rebellion (Lies)

**Author's Note:**

> I like to listen to music while I read, and I tend to include a song I see fitting for the chapter at hand.  
> So that's what this is:
> 
> Listen While You Read: https://youtu.be/MQvZ4N1RfS8
> 
> This fic is mainly for my own enjoyment, but if you're here we obviously share similar taste, so join me as we shamelessly indulge ourselves.

“Ah, Milady.” 

 

The swish of leather on metal came to your attention, as you craned your neck to face the boy behind you.

 

“Are you following me, Kitty?”

 

He stepped towards you slowly, taking his sweet time to reach your side. “I believe our meeting here tonight is _purrly_ a coincidence.”

 

You couldn’t help but let a soundless chuckle escape your lips. “Oh, really?”

 

“You see,” he took a seat beside you, dangling his feet off the edge of the structure, “this is my thinking place.”

 

“Well it must be difficult for you if the only place you can think is located one thousand feet up in the air.”

 

He smiled that cockeyed smile that somehow drove you completely nuts. “See, this is why I’m pretty sure I am your only friend, Bugaboo.” 

 

_ Friend _ . You were grateful to be considered as much. Of course you wanted to further that relationship, but the word  _ friend _ in itself held more between the two of you than anyone else you knew. You wouldn’t give up Chat Noir’s friendship for anything in the world, and you cherished what he would give you.

 

“You wish you could have me all to yourself,” you pushed a finger into his chest, “but sadly for you, Chat, I do actually have friends.”

 

He swatted away your hand halfheartedly. “But surely they aren’t nearly as cool as this cat.”

 

_ No they aren’t, _ you thought, but the only sound that came from you was a quiet, “Mmm”.

 

“What does that mean?”

 

“It means that jealousy is not a good color on you, Kitty.”

 

You lost track of how long the two of you sat in silence, watching the city lights blink to life below you. Your thoughts wandered to and fro, but eventually landed on one topic. How long would the two of you be partners? Would there come a day when you didn’t get to see that mop of messy blond hair? Those green eyes that seemed to know you better than yourself? When the two of you had both received your Kwamis and along with them your duty to protect Paris, you had agreed to keep your identities a secret. It seemed like the superhero thing to do in the moment, but with every Akuma attack you faced together, your yearning to know who the boy under the mask was only intensified. 

 

Chat Noir had been your first solid crush, but you did your best to keep your feelings towards him from affecting your work relationship. Afterall, in your line of work lives were at stake and you needed a clear head. You thought your feelings would finally go away when he started talking about some other girl that he liked, but there they were as persistent as ever. It seemed a small part of you wanted to believe that he was talking about you. The majority of your brain knew better.

 

“-ugaboo?” Chat was watching you expectantly, his mask raising slightly in question.

 

“Hmm?”

 

“You were totally zoned out.” He shot you another lopsided grin that sent your resolve spiraling into the depths of being forgotten. “It doesn’t look like there’s any trouble tonight, so I’d better be going.”

 

When he stretched you couldn’t help but stare. To trace every muscle. To imagine - no. You had to stop. You halted your derailed train of thought as a weak smile made its way onto your features. “All those mice aren’t going to catch themselves, huh?”

 

“Low blow, Milady. Low blow.” And then he was gone.

 

You inhaled what felt like the first full breath you had taken the entire night. Feelings were definitely harder to fight than any Akumatized villain Hawkmoth could throw at you.

  
  


-

  
  


You never had much of a problem sneaking in or out at night. Marinette was often busy focusing on one of her creative projects or hanging out with Alya when you left, and by the time you got back she was often in bed, or just assumed you were up to your weird foreign “antics”.

 

Tonight was no different as you tiptoed your way to the chaise - aka your bed. You pulled a macaron out of your pocket and gave it to Tikki before changing into your pj’s and completely collapsing into the pile of blankets that awaited you.

 

“Girl you’ve got to get a grip!”

 

You massaged your temples and squoze your eyes shut as tightly as possible. “Shhh… I know, Tikki… I’m trying… It’s just…” You pulled up The Ladyblog, finding a picture of you, ahem,  _ Ladybug _ and Chat Noir from the previous night during which some reporter had found the two of you helping out a mom with multiple crying children. Chat had been so wonderful with the small child he had managed to temporarily distract with his ears. 

 

“You’re like Batman!” The little boy shouted, happy all of a sudden. The tears that had been making their way down his face practically vanishing.

 

Chat leaned down and whispered something you could just barely make out. “You wanna know something?”

 

“Mhmm!”

 

“I’m cooler than Batman.”

 

“No you’re not!”

 

“Do you think Batman could defeat an Akuma?”

 

“Well… no.”

 

“There ya go! Cooler than Batman!” Chat poked the boy’s belly, tickling him all over until he was cracking up laughing.

 

“But you can’t beat an Akuma without Ladybug!” The boy was still giggling from a moment ago. “Ladybug’s cooler than Batman!”

 

Chat held his finger up to interject, but the boy ran over and hugged your legs.

 

“Ladybug’s cooler than Batman! Ladybug’s cooler than Batman!”

 

You couldn’t help but burst out laughing at the fake hurt look Chat sent your way.

 

“(Y/n).”

 

“Mhm.”

 

Tikki was whisper-yelling, trying her best to get your attention. “(Y/n)!”

 

You shut the tablet off, putting it away, before snuggling into the blankets.

 

A huge yawn dragged you towards the calmness of sleep. “Do… do you think things will… work out between us... someday?”

 

Tikki nestled into the covers over your shoulder. “I hope so.”

 

But you were asleep before she could even answer.


	2. Something Human

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Listen while you read: https://youtu.be/zfnQ-lh2PTg

Adrien could easily recall the first day he laid eyes on you. The memory was as vivid and as unforgettable as the smell of Camembert.

 

You walked into school with Marinette and Alya for the start of your last year of lycée. He watched curiously as you fiddled with what looked like a Bluetooth earpiece, a twisted up expression covering your features. Your eyes seemed to be smiling though, trained on a conversation between the two girls beside you. You turned in his direction, scanning the room with the slightest look of uncertainty before meeting his eyes. He could feel his cheeks blaze hot as a raging wildfire when you gave him a simple smile. He watched your eyes glance over him before meeting his once again.

 

Marinette grabbed your arm, pulling your attention back to the growing group of girls crowded together by the stairs, all of whom were chattering excitedly as they caught up on each other’s summers.

 

The longer Adrien continued to study you, the more interesting you became. A scuffed and scraped up pair of red Converse adorned your feet. You wore denim overall shorts overtop a tie dye t-shirt, both slightly faded from wear. An index card with the words ‘I DON’T SPEAK FRENCH’ scrawled across it in Marinette’s signature script was attached to the front pocket of the overalls with a piece of duct tape. A white backpack hung off your shoulders, handwritten words and sentences in a foreign language covering almost every empty space. In your hand you held a smartphone, and you alternated between glancing at the screen and watching the face of whomever was speaking at the time.

 

None of that mattered much to him by the time he reached your face. Such peaceful elation held in your features from your lips to your eyes was a rare experience for Adrien. The way it seemed any emotion other than joy being expressed on your face felt plain  _ wrong _ . It was what he craved in his own life. Love, warmth, endearment, and compassion. From his father, from Nathalie; something he longed to feel and know for himself. Everything he had wanted for so long, all bundled up inside one human being.

 

There were no two ways about it. He was hooked.

 

Now he watched as you entered the room today, sunglasses still covering those mesmerizing pools some called eyes. The same joyful grin working its way onto your face as you took your seat beside him. 

 

“Morning, Lahiffe. Agreste.”

 

Nino turned his attention towards you, but he seemed distracted, his fingers drumming on the desktop. “Hey, dudette. You know where the girls are by any chance?”

 

“Mari was trying to finish some project of hers, and Als was busy going on about the latest additions to her blog. Betcha they’ll be here in five, give or take.” You leaned forward, resting your chin on your knuckles. “You in a hurry?”

 

The corners of the boy’s lips turned up before he responded. “We’ve got a lunch date today.”

 

“Ooooh, sounds fun.” You passed the boys a couple of croissants cut in half with strawberry cream cheese spread in the middle from yesterday’s leftovers, before taking a bite of your own. “You got any dates coming up, Agreste?”

 

“Mmm…” Nino absorbed the flavor of the pastry before returning to reality. “You know this guy only has eyes for one girl.”

 

You smirked at the blond boy. “I’m starting to think he just says that to get us off his back.”

 

Said blond boy pouted, an expression that seemed in contrast to his otherwise glowy appearance. “You do know I’m like right here?”

 

“Does that mean you would like to join this conversation?” You taunted, quirking an eyebrow.

 

He picked a flake off the top of the croissant before popping it in his mouth. “...Not really.”

 

“I’m starting to think she’s just a fantasy stuck up there somewhere.” You gestured to his forehead, swirling your finger through the air.

 

“You’d better make a move before the end of the school year.” Nino redirected the conversation in a more serious direction.

 

“Yeah,” you nodded your head in agreement, “what if she decides to leave Paris after school?”

 

“Don’t miss your chance, dude. If I had missed out on being with Alya… Man... I don’t think I’d ever find a girl as perfect as her.” The sincerity reflected in his eyes was mesmerizing.  


 

You were so focused on Nino’s words. His adoration for Alya.

 

Adrien could picture it. He would kiss you right there. Lead your lips to his with the gentle pull of his index finger. You would be shocked, but in a  _ can’t catch my breath _ sort of way. In his mind there would be fireworks, and all of your classmates would turn and stare. The girls would squeal, and the guys would cheer, and he would walk you to a nice little cafe for lunch and the two of you would hold hands, and kiss, and talk about the future. You would graduate, and get married, and get a nice little place away from everything that made him feel inadequate. He could provide whatever you needed, and the two of you would be  _ happy _ .

 

“Hey, lover boy.” Nino was waving his hand in front of Adrien’s face.

 

You rolled your eyes. “Like I said, a fantasy stuck up there somewhere… Betcha five euros she doesn’t exist.”

 

“I’ll take that action.” Nino extended his arm towards you to seal the deal. “I know my boy Adrien’s got some girl out there he’s head over heels for.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I've realized that I have no plot for this fic, so it's now going to be transforming into a collection of connected one-shots... haha... whoops


End file.
